Cindy Carr, cindy.carr@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, DC -- Late yesterday evening, Republican Senators employed the filibuster, a Jim Crow-era tool, to again block a vote on the Freedom To Vote: John R. Lewis Act. Following this vote, Leader Schumer held a vote to slightly change the rules of the filibuster to allow a final vote on the bill. This vote failed when Senators Sinema and Manchin sided with Republican obstruction over protecting our right to vote and our democracy.
In response, Sierra Club President Ramón Cruz issued the following statement:
“Rather than safeguarding our right to vote and securing the future of our democracy, all 50 Republican Senators cemented their marriage to Trumpism while Senators Manchin and Sinema chose to preserve a racist relic. Shame on them all. There is no moral or legitimate reason to side with stripping Americans’ right to vote and failing to protect our democracy. When our Senators fail to act, they betray their constituents and all Americans.
“Let this moment define the legacies of Senators Manchin, Sinema, and every Republican who chose silence rather than action this evening. History will never forget.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.